Should I Buy an iPhone?

[Sheep]

Go T-Mo G1 (HTC Dream). It's a new platform, running Google's Android platform, but the open-sourceness is delicious. Compared to my friend's iPhone 3G, the G1 has a brighter (albeit smaller) screen, better contrast, some of the same apps that are available for iPhone (Shazaam runs faster on the G1 than on the iPhone in repeated tests) and some apps that the iPhone doesn't have (ShopSavvy, a nice price comparison app that searches the web and local stores around you after scanning a product's bar code... this app makes most iPhone users I've shown it to envious http://www.biggu.com/ )

Check out the G1!

Holy crap...old-timer Shen making a return for 2009?

Anyhow, I'm keeping tabs on the iPhone too. While the hardware and software is indeed spiffy despite Apple's "we know what you want better than you do" attitude, I don't think I can justify the cheapest data plan for it considering I have enough trouble paying $50 monthly for my current plan with Sprint.

 

[trekkerguy]

No.

 

[Barbados Slim]

What are the montly rates for the iphone?

I love my blackberry anyway It serves all the same purposes

It's an extra $30/month for the data plan, which is the same as getting any smart phone w/ att.

I got it and am typing this from it now. Loving it so far!

Welcome to the cult. If you haven't raided it yet, go to the Apps store.

And here's your Cool- aide.

Thanks for the recommendation.

 

[Cali]

I *love* the iPhone. Played with one in the Apple store yesterday for about 45 seconds and now really, really want one. Unfortunately, my contract isn't up until March 2010.

 

[doubleohfive]

I don't know about iPhones... but stay the hell away from Blackberries. Damn things will be a never-ending scourge the minute they break down or get moisture damage.

 

[Barbados Slim]

I *love* the iPhone. Played with one in the Apple store yesterday for about 45 seconds and now really, really want one. Unfortunately, my contract isn't up until March 2010.

You should try talking to the sales rep at either the store or your service provider to see what they can do. There always seems to be some wiggle room in the contracts when it comes to upgrades.


Funny story. I was downloading music onto the phone (the speakers are really good, BTW) and I see my brother had called. So I called him back and he's all "Did you get my text?" I said no and he said, "It said, 'I'm texting you from...my new iPhone!'" I was like, "That's funny, maybe I didn't get it because I was syncing...my new iPhone!"

Turns out we he and his partner (he's LAPD) stopped off at the same AT&T store that I went to just two hours beforehand.

 

[Trippy]

I don't know about iPhones... but stay the hell away from Blackberries. Damn things will be a never-ending scourge the minute they break down or get moisture damage.

Oh dear...what happened? My blackberry has been great...I have had to remove the battery pack and re-insert it a few times when my screen froze, but other than that...

(I have the Pearl)

 

[Scout101]

I've had 3 blackberries through work (currently an 8830), and never had a problem like that. Had an 8703 before this, and a 76something something before that). Other than work locking down more and more functionality on them, they've been great.

Will be getting myself an iphone at some point, but can't seem to push myself to do it yet. Hoping that there will be a new improved model at some point, or AT&T will at least iron out more of the bugs in their 3G coverage first...

 

[JediKnightButler]

My wife and I got one each last year (1st Gen) and absolutely love them. My wife and I had been wanting to get new cell phones (upgrade our basic, pithy Nokias), a new video-capable iPod, and I had been wanting a pocket PC/data organizer and when the iPhone was released, we agreed that it had everything we could've asked for wrapped in single package. It was certainly rather expensive at the time, however to buy everything that I just mentioned would've been just about as much (if not more) so I'd say that it was an EXCELLENT investment and I can't say that I have many gripes about it, particularly since Apple has continued to upgrade and enhance its functionality with Apps.
The ONLY thing that I might say is a bit of a disappointment is that the data capacity of the iPhone, at least the ones that we could afford at the time, is a bit on the low side (8GB) when compared to the iPod Touch (32 GB), which is almost identical to the iPhone but without the phone capability but I imagine that the designers probably had to sacrifice some space capacity for the phone component. It's actually amazing how small 8GB seems nowadays. I can remember when having a 1GB hard drive was a big deal. Heck, my main drive on my computer has a capacity of 250 GB and I'm down to my last 100 GB and we have to be somewhat conservative about the amount of things we download (i.e. iTunes music and videos).
So, all in all, I'd say go for it if you have the $$$$$$

 

[Holdfast]

Leaving aside the iPhone as such, if you haven't owned a good PDA-phone/smartphone before, you'll be amazed how quickly they become part of your life. My old one broke a year ago and I just HAD to replace it with a new one the very next day. They're just so useful - from diary scheduling, to making quick notes, to task managements, to checking stuff on the internet, to using satellite navigation in the car. They're just incredibly useful little devices.

Whether you choose the iPhone or another one is basically down to which interface you prefer.

 

[Crusher Disciple]

^Yeah, I was between 3-4 phones, thinking that ATT wouldn't let me upgrade to the iPhone. I was okay with a Blackberry, but I realized I was so use to the iPhone interface that it would be too much of a hassle to learn how to use the Blackberry.

And ATT was all for letting me have one at the "discounted price" although when I checked my account online obsessively the previous weeks their website claimed I didn't qualify.

Lesson: It always helps to walk down to the ATT store in person.

 

[Cali]

I *love* the iPhone. Played with one in the Apple store yesterday for about 45 seconds and now really, really want one. Unfortunately, my contract isn't up until March 2010.

You should try talking to the sales rep at either the store or your service provider to see what they can do. There always seems to be some wiggle room in the contracts when it comes to upgrades.

Unfortunately, the network I'm currently on don't do iPhones, they're exclusive to O2 for ten generations. And my current contract has unlimited texts which is something I really need, and the O2 contracts only go up to 500 texts/month which I know wouldn't be enough.

As for Blackberries: I really, really don't like the things that much. I work in a phone shop and we only seem to have people in with problems with them, and half the customers who have them don't have a clue what they're doing with them despite being told several times how to do various things on them.

 

[Holdfast]

^Yeah, I was between 3-4 phones, thinking that ATT wouldn't let me upgrade to the iPhone. I was okay with a Blackberry, but I realized I was so use to the iPhone interface that it would be too much of a hassle to learn how to use the Blackberry.

Yep, I use a Windows Mobile PDA phone and really can't be bothered with switching to a different interface. It's all about what you're used to.

Lesson: It always helps to walk down to the ATT store in person.

And here I was thinking you just floated serenely down on a cloud.

Unfortunately, the network I'm currently on don't do iPhones, they're exclusive to O2 for ten generations. And my current contract has unlimited texts which is something I really need, and the O2 contracts only go up to 500 texts/month which I know wouldn't be enough.

Talk to O2 directly. I've found their retention teams pretty flexible on renewal in terms of what they'll do to keep your business. My guess is that they'd cut you a deal to get you to move over to them in the first place.

 

[Cali]

Unfortunately, the network I'm currently on don't do iPhones, they're exclusive to O2 for ten generations. And my current contract has unlimited texts which is something I really need, and the O2 contracts only go up to 500 texts/month which I know wouldn't be enough.

Talk to O2 directly. I've found their retention teams pretty flexible on renewal in terms of what they'll do to keep your business. My guess is that they'd cut you a deal to get you to move over to them in the first place.

I might do that when my contract is up in 15 months time. Depends if there are any other similar devices out then.

 

[Crusher Disciple]

[Yep, I use a Windows Mobile PDA phone and really can't be bothered with switching to a different interface. It's all about what you're used to.

Well, in my case it's acute laziness.

 

[Holdfast]

Unfortunately, the network I'm currently on don't do iPhones, they're exclusive to O2 for ten generations. And my current contract has unlimited texts which is something I really need, and the O2 contracts only go up to 500 texts/month which I know wouldn't be enough.

Talk to O2 directly. I've found their retention teams pretty flexible on renewal in terms of what they'll do to keep your business. My guess is that they'd cut you a deal to get you to move over to them in the first place.

I might do that when my contract is up in 15 months time. Depends if there are any other similar devices out then.

There are loads of devices that seem to do what the iPhone does. Maybe in a different way, but they're there. I use an XDA Orbit, for instance.

[Yep, I use a Windows Mobile PDA phone and really can't be bothered with switching to a different interface. It's all about what you're used to.

Well, in my case it's acute laziness.

Never a bad thing.

 

[Cali]

There are loads of devices that seem to do what the iPhone does. Maybe in a different way, but they're there. I use an XDA Orbit, for instance.

Aye, but they're not the iPhone. Which I am a little bit in love with.

 

[Dr. Horrible]

As for Blackberries: I really, really don't like the things that much. I work in a phone shop and we only seem to have people in with problems with them, and half the customers who have them don't have a clue what they're doing with them despite being told several times how to do various things on them.

You work in a phone shop? Whatever happened to the CalifornianStrawberries I used to know? Too much Tonks?

Regarding Blackberries, I have one from work and it does its job, relaying work e-mail. It works as a phone as well, for work purposes. I wouldn't consider one as a personal phone though. I know people who do, but I just disagree.

I do have a 32Gb iPod Touch, which is brilliant. I love the apps. For a mobile phone though, I just prefer something that does the simple task of making calls and sending texts. And the odd bit of internet browsing. And taking the odd picture or two. Bluetooth is a must, to connect to my Sat Nav.

My Nokia 6300 does all of this very nicely.

 

[Cali]

As for Blackberries: I really, really don't like the things that much. I work in a phone shop and we only seem to have people in with problems with them, and half the customers who have them don't have a clue what they're doing with them despite being told several times how to do various things on them.

You work in a phone shop? Whatever happened to the CalifornianStrawberries I used to know? Too much Tonks?

Regarding Blackberries, I have one from work and it does its job, relaying work e-mail. It works as a phone as well, for work purposes. I wouldn't consider one as a personal phone though. I know people who do, but I just disagree.

I do have a 32Gb iPod Touch, which is brilliant. I love the apps. For a mobile phone though, I just prefer something that does the simple task of making calls and sending texts. And the odd bit of internet browsing. And taking the odd picture or two. Bluetooth is a must, to connect to my Sat Nav.

My Nokia 6300 does all of this very nicely.

I do, but I hate hate HATE it. Working retail is just a job I have until I find something I can, hopefully, make a career of. I took the job because it's better money than job seeker's allowance and far better for me than sitting around at home doing nothing all day (although I do doubt this sometimes when a customer is standing there going off on one at us). Plus it's all experience and learning.

 

[Brent]

but can you use it as a phone?